you don't need to score more than 50% in ethics to pass

CFA Level II
#1

I created the topic, because I want to confirm that there is common misconception in forum about the ethics section. There are a lot of people in this forum claiming that if you score less than 50% in ethics you fail the exam, no matter results of other sections. I just want to let you know that it is not true, I failed ethics section this year and passed the exam. So don’t let yourself to be depressed by some unresponsible guys who like to spread the gossips, without bothering themselves to confirm if they are true.

#2

I failed ethics for level 2 exam but was pulled up by other topics and passed the exam It’s not the end if you fail that section but can be a deciding factor if you are on the border

#3

you should nonetheless strive to be ethical in your endeavors. Taking shortcuts, especially when it comes to matters of ethics, is revealing of one’s character.

I would not hire someone who disregarded ethics.

#4

Completely agree.

#5

Although I’m an ethical person by nature, my only goal is passing the exam. I’d rather fail ethics and pass the exam than fail the exam but pass ethics. What does this reveal about my character? I’m probably in the 99%.

And someone failing ethics doesn’t mean they are unethical at work. Neither does passing ethics indicate that they’re Mother Teresa.

I don’t think anyone suggested that you shouldn’t be ethical or not understanding what constitutes ethical behaviour. OP only suggested there’s a misconception that failing ethics means failing the exam.

But I would highly promote Ethics as a must know for the exam:

  • it’s across all 3 levels. Repeatability = Easy marks
  • they are one of the quicker questions to answer. If you are confident with the Ethics questions, you’ll be flying with confidence for the rest of the exam.
#6

I just hope that people don’t begin to ignore ethics and just try to pass the test by doing bare minimum. Sets a poor example. Abiding by a code of ethics is one of the main points of the charter. This is why there has always been this myth/truth that ethics could be critical in pass/fail. Granted the exam can be tricky in this regard with subjective questions but ignoring the section altogether is a mistake in my view.

So I think the OP does a disservice by attempting to dispel the potential myth without any facts to substantiate. He should state it his only his opinion.

#7

this has been debunked clearly, and is available to see on the CFA website in a PDF describing the MPR.

Aside from the obvious bits re: the importance of ethical conduct, passing ethics can make the difference between a band 10 and a Pass. Based on that alone IMO it’s worth studying. Yes, the material is dry but if you take the time to read CFAI book 1 it is really not that difficult, almost laughable how easy and repetitive it is across the levels.

Trying to cram Ethics is just lazy because all the rules are there. Read the standards, read the applications, and you’re good to go.